Wire-stretcher.



C. CLARK.

WIRE STRETGHER.

APPLmATIoN FILED DB0. 5, 1910.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTC.

CHARLES CLARK, 0F GUEYDAN, LOUISIANA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application led December 5, 1910. Serial No. 595,621.

vention, such as will enable others skilledA in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to Wire stretchers.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient wirestretcher adapted to be supported on posts of varying sizes to which thewires are designed to besecured.

Another object of the invention is to pro.

Vide a stretcher of this character having means for securing it to thepost on the side opposite to that from which the wire is being drawn,whereby the wire may be stretched taut, and when the desired tension isobtained the wire will be vin position ready for stapling.

Another object is to provide a wire stretcher having means for securingit to a fence-post and holding it in horizontal position thereon toprovide for the operation thereof by one man.

INith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts aswill be more fully olescribed and particularly pointed out in theappended claim.

In the accompanying drawing-Figure 1 is a perspective view of thisimproved stretcher applied with the post shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2is a side elevation with parts broken away; Fig. 3 is a transversevertical section vthereof taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is aperspective view of one of the gripping members detached.

In the embodiment illustrated a wire stretcher is shown comprising twoparallel bars 1 and 2, connected, preferably at one end, by a cross-bar3, and each provided on its upper face with a series of ratchet teeth as4.

Two gripping members 5 and 6 are slidably mounted on the bars 1 and 2and are preferably constructed as shown in detail in Fig. 4, each havinga depending pawl 7 for engagement with the teeth 4 to permit itsrespective member to move in one direction and to hold it againstmovement in the other direction. These gripping members 5 and 6 are eachprovided on their lower ends with releasing fingers as 8, which arepreferably curved upwardly as shown, and are designed to be pressedupwardly to release the pawl 7 from the teeth 4 and permit the member tobe moved on its bar into the position desired, and which is especiallyuseful when returning the gripping members to initial position after awire has been stretched. These gripping members 5 and 6 are providedwith transversely eX- tending pins or bolts 5 and 6 which are designedto hold the members in operative position on their respective bars andprevent their accidental detachment therefrom. Two links 9 and 10 arepivotally connected at one end with the gripping members 5 and 6,preferably at their upper ends, and at their other end are pivotallyconnected with one end of an operating lever-11. Theselinks 9 and 1()are spaced longitudinally from each other on the lever 11, and a rod 12is pivotally connected at one end with said lever between said links,said rod 12 being preferably bifurcated at its connecting end tostraddle the lever 11, but it may be connected thereto in any othersuitable or desired manner. v Y

The bar 2 is. provided at its free end with a right-angular upwardlyextending arm 18, to the free, end of which is connected a substantiallyL shaped post engaging bracket 14. This bracket 14 is provided with anextension 15., which is designed to project beyond the post A with whichthe stretcher is to be engaged, and is provided at its free end with aloop 16 to receive the wire B. This engagement of the member 15 with thewire B serves to hold the stretcher against twisting on the post A whenpull is exerted on the lever 11. The loop 16 is preferably constructedin the form. of a depending U-shaped member having a lateral arm 17extending from the free end thereof and projecting over the member 15 toprovide a closure for the upper end of the loop to prevent the wire frombecoming disengaged should the wire be bent up or down or sidewise. Thisarm 17 is, of course, spaced slightly above the member 15 to provide forthe ready insertion of the wire therethrough.

The bar 1 is provided at its free end with a depending arm 18, to thefree end of which vso is secured an- L-shaped post-engaging bracket 19,similar to the bracket 14 above described, and whichy is designed forthe same purpose. These brackets are spaced vertically, and the bars 1and 2 project laterally from between them. A wire clamp 18a is alsoconnected with the arm 18 preferably by a ring 18b and is designed togrip the wire B when it is necessary to take a new hold or to hold thewire when splicing. A

chain 20 is secured at one end to the bar 1, preferably near its freeend, and is adapted to staple the wire intermediately between saidbrackets. The chain 20 is then passed around the post and engaged withthe hook 21, and the wire B is drawn as taut as pos- Y sible by hand andengaged by the clamp 22.

The wire B is then raised and placed in the loop 16 and the stretcher isthen ready to be actuated by exerting a pull in the rearward directionon the lever 11. This pull on the lever 11 will cause the slide orgripping member 6 to slip backward on the bar 1, while the slide 5remains stationary and serves as a fulcrum for the lever. rlhis rearwardpull on lever 11 will cause the wire B to be stretched for aboutone-half the distance that the slide 6 moves on the bar 1. A forwardpull is then exerted on the lever 11, which causes the slide 5 to movebackward on the bar 2, slide 6 remaining stationary and serving as afulcrum for the lever. It

will thus be observed that each of the grip-V connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

`Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacricing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined in theappendedl claim.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim is A wire stretchercomprising toothed bars, pawls slidably engaging with the latter, anoperating lever, links connecting said pawls with kthe lever, a rodattached to the said lever between the links and having a wire grippingdevice at its free end, a post engaging extension forming a part of oneof said bars, an upwardly projecting post engaging extension forming acontinuation of the other bar, a bracket projecting from said last namedextension and having a wire receiving loop, and a chain embracing saidpost, one end of which is secured to one bar and having its opposite enddetachably secured to a hook forming a part of the bracket.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES CLARK.

Witnesses:

A. K. RAMsY, O. M. JONES..

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

